How do the scores compare?

Galaxy Tab S9 scores 61.3/100 overall; iPad Air 13-inch (M4) scores 57.4/100. Galaxy Tab S9 wins 8 individual spec rows, iPad Air 13-inch (M4) wins 4.

What are the main differences between the Galaxy Tab S9 and the iPad Air 13-inch (M4)?

Galaxy Tab S9 advantages: Stronger display score: 62 vs 35; Stronger battery score: 46 vs 36; Stronger portability score: 81 vs 61; 125% higher charging: 45 W vs 20 W; 100% higher Refresh rate: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz. iPad Air 13-inch (M4) advantages: Stronger performance score: 80 vs 58; 138% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 12,591 vs 5,300; 81% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 3,576 vs 1,980; 50% higher RAM: 12 GB vs 8 GB; 17% higher Screen size: 12.9 ″ vs 11 ″.

Which is cheaper: Galaxy Tab S9 or iPad Air 13-inch (M4)?

iPad Air 13-inch (M4) launched cheaper at $799, versus $800 for the Galaxy Tab S9.

Galaxy Tab S9 vs iPad Air 13-inch (M4)

WINNER

Samsung

Galaxy Tab S9

$800

Apple

iPad Air 13-inch (M4)

$799

57.6Performance80.4

61.6Display35.4

46Battery35.6

81.4Portability61

75.2Features74.4

8 spec wins — Galaxy Tab S94 spec wins — iPad Air 13-inch (M4)

InnoReviews verdict

Galaxy Tab S9 wins this tablet face-off, 61.3 to 57.4, pulling ahead mainly in display (+26) and portability (+20). iPad Air 13-inch (M4) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.

Which would you pick?

Key differences

Reasons to pick the Galaxy Tab S9

Stronger display score: 62 vs 35
Stronger battery score: 46 vs 36
Stronger portability score: 81 vs 61
125% higher charging: 45 W vs 20 W
100% higher Refresh rate: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz

Reasons to pick the iPad Air 13-inch (M4)

Stronger performance score: 80 vs 58
138% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 12,591 vs 5,300
81% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 3,576 vs 1,980
50% higher RAM: 12 GB vs 8 GB
17% higher Screen size: 12.9 ″ vs 11 ″

Display

Display comparison: Galaxy Tab S9 versus iPad Air 13-inch (M4)
Spec	Galaxy Tab S9	iPad Air 13-inch (M4)
Screen size	11 ″	12.9 ″+17%
Panel type	Dynamic AMOLED 2X	Liquid Retina IPS LCD
Resolution	2560x1600	2732x2048
Pixel density	274 ppi+4%	264 ppi
Refresh rate	120 Hz+100%	60 Hz
Peak brightness	750 nits+25%	600 nits

Performance

Performance comparison: Galaxy Tab S9 versus iPad Air 13-inch (M4)
Spec	Galaxy Tab S9	iPad Air 13-inch (M4)
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy	Apple M4
AnTuTu	1,500,000	—
Geekbench 6 (single)	1,980Top 48%	3,576+81%Top 7%
Geekbench 6 (multi)	5,300Top 46%	12,591+138%Top 9%
RAM	8 GB	12 GB+50%
Storage options	128GB / 256GB + microSD	128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB

Battery

Battery comparison: Galaxy Tab S9 versus iPad Air 13-inch (M4)
Spec	Galaxy Tab S9	iPad Air 13-inch (M4)
Capacity	8,400 mAh	—
Charging	45 W+125%	20 W
Endurance	11 h+10%	10 h

Design

Design comparison: Galaxy Tab S9 versus iPad Air 13-inch (M4)
Spec	Galaxy Tab S9	iPad Air 13-inch (M4)
Weight	498 g+19%	616 g
Thickness	5.9 mm+3%	6.1 mm
Material	Armor Aluminum	Aluminum

Camera

Camera comparison: Galaxy Tab S9 versus iPad Air 13-inch (M4)
Spec	Galaxy Tab S9	iPad Air 13-inch (M4)
Rear camera	13 MP+8%	12 MP
Front camera	12 MP	12 MP

Connectivity

Connectivity comparison: Galaxy Tab S9 versus iPad Air 13-inch (M4)
Spec	Galaxy Tab S9	iPad Air 13-inch (M4)
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 6E	Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth	5.3	6
Cellular	5G optional	5G optional
USB	USB-C 3.2 Gen 1	USB-C (10Gbps)

Features

Features comparison: Galaxy Tab S9 versus iPad Air 13-inch (M4)
Spec	Galaxy Tab S9	iPad Air 13-inch (M4)
Stylus	S Pen (included)	Apple Pencil Pro
Keyboard support	Yes	Yes
Speakers	Quad	Stereo
Operating system	Android 13 (One UI 5.1.1)	iPadOS 26

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